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| Horseshoe Ranch overlook |
Here's the full set of photos.
My primary destination: Bear Lake and surrounding areas. The lakes are tiny - at least, when frozen in winter. Length of the trail was no longer than a mile or two. After Bear Lake, there was Dream Lake, and Emerald Lake. All three attractions could be visited in two hours.
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| Bear Lake |
I walked across Dream Lake without realizing it. It was just some frozen rocks to one side, on the way to the mountain buff overlooking Emerald lake. On my way back, I saw a sign for Dream Lake and followed a trail. It went back to the windy flat patch of snow that I had just run across minutes before.
The view from Dream lake was my favorite. The mountain in the distance looked like a giant half-pipe.
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| Dream Lake |
People were all over the mountain. They looked like Skittles, dressed in their various Outdoor-Appropriate-Apparel. I just wore my nightgown and sleeping robe (thermal fleece and faux fur hoodie from "dressing room selfies" post. I'm really glad I made those purchases, the combination of the two has served me well in all situations.) Without wearing anything fancy, I did just fine.
The snow was so deep, I sank to my waist when I planted my right foot into soft powder next to the packed trail!
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| Careful where you step! |
Tons of people at the lakes. The giant parking lot was full when I finished my short stroll. Tons of their gear too. Everybody had skis, snowboards, or snowshoes. I seriously thought I drove to the wrong place, or that people were in line for a ski lift. Turns out there were no downhill slopes or lifts. People were just over-acting their dramatic scene.
People had so much gear, unnecessary gear. Backpacks, walking poles, clunking around the parking lot on ski boots. C'mon, I walked faster in hiking boots than a tour group on x-c skis.
At the start I was concerned because my water bottle was nearly empty and there were no buildings in the area to stock up on hydration. But looking at the trail markers, I saw the closest lake was marked 1000 feet away. The farthest was a mere mile and some change. I did the day's hike without taking out my water once. People around me were stocked up like they weren't coming down from the mountain for days.
After my hike, I played flute for a bit.
I tried to drive to the other side of the mountain to see another lake, and go to a town called Granby... but the road through the park was closed for the winter. At the road closing, there was a rock overlooking an wide angle view over the area. It was called something like "the many curves place". I explored, and found a really difficult climb to some nice views.
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| A deceptively difficult big 'ol rock |
I climbed up a big 'ol rock without gloves, 'cause I was dumb to leave gloves in my car and underestimated the area's store of challenges! The climb was fairly dangerous for a pedestrian. There was no trail, just some foot prints in the snow where tourists worked a way up. It was so windy at the top, my freezing fingers struggled to hold on to my phone as I took pictures.
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| Veni Vici Vidi [sic] |
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| A challenging view to reach! |
After a few minutes navigating the gaps at the top of the rock, an unnerving vertigo overcame me. I felt off-balance when strong winds buffeted my slender frame. My shaking legs were unsure which way to lean. I looked around to take pictures, and felt like there was nothing supporting me in any direction. I had to lean against a rock to regain my orientation. I looked down and felt I would spin and fall, like the intro to the Twilight Zone.
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| Feeling vertigo yet? |
After the photo-op on the rock, I continued on 'wander' mode. My way through the park started at the Beaver Meadows entrance and exited out the Fall River gate. I drove past Horseshoe Ranch (pictured at the head of the post) and a bunch of other areas of the park.
On my way back to Boulder, I came across the Stanley Hotel where Stephen King stayed and found inspiration to write "The Shining". Kubrik later hijacked the novel into his own contorted cinematic vision of madness.
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| You've always been the caretaker... |
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| Come play with us... |
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| That's odd... the blood usually gets off at the second floor |
Man them there be some exquisite pics man. It didn't occur to me that all the beautiful lakes I saw there in summer time would be invisible under a snow field. But at least you get to say you've walked across them.
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